As a member of the public, you can use the NSR program to ensure that
sources are complying with the requirements that apply to them. NSR gives
you the opportunity to:

Comment on and request a public hearing on permits before they are
issued.

Appeal permits issued pursuant to the State Implementation Plan (SIP).
The appeal procedures will depend on the state the source is located
in. For state-specific information, get in touch with the appropriate
contact listed on your state's Permit Contact page, which is available
by clicking on your state on the Where You Live
page U.S. map.

Appeal EPA-issued permits or permits issued by state or local agencies
that are issuing the permit on behalf of the EPA to the Environmental
Appeals Board and the federal courts.

Determine if the permit application is complete enough to begin processing
it.

Prepare a draft permit.

Publish a notice to inform the public of (1) the public comment period
(usually 30 days), and (2) the deadline for requesting a public hearing
on the draft permit. The notice can be published in a newspaper of general
circulation in the area where the source is located or in a State publication,
like a State register. Some agencies also post the public notice and
other information on their web site.

Decide whether to revise the draft permit based on the comments received.
In some cases the permitting authority may publish a notice and seek
comments on the revised permit.

Issue the permit.

How Can I Comment on Proposed EPA NSR Regulations
and EPA Actions to Approve State and Local Agencies' NSR Regulations?

EPA publishes notices of proposed regulations and actions to approve
state and local agency's NSR regulations in the Federal Register. The
Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed
rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive
orders and other presidential documents. Each notice will have information
on how to comment on the proposed regulation. The Government Printing
Office Federal Register
web site
offers free access to the Federal Register. We will also post notices of major changes to NSR regulations
on the Regulatory Actions section of this web
site.

EPA creates a docket for each of these actions. Dockets contain Federal
Register notices, support documents, and public comments for regulations
the Agency publishes and various non-regulatory activities. These dockets
are available from EPA's EDOCKET
Web site. The EDOCKET system also allows you to submit comments on actions
that are currently open for public comment.

How Can I Bring Enforcement
Actions Against Sources That Are Not Complying With Their Permits?

You can notify the permitting authority or EPA if you believe a facility
did not obtain an NSR permit before constructing or is not complying with
their permits. The EPA may refer you to the appropriate state or local
agency that handles the type of violation you are reporting. See Environmental
Violations web page for more information on reporting violations.

Section 304 of the Clean
Air Act allows citizens to sue to enforce many of the Clean Air Act's
requirements. Lawsuits may be filed against the source, the state permitting
authority, and the EPA. Although written for Title V operating permits,
you might find "The
Proof is in the Permit" Part Two: Chapter 3 helpful.